Death sentences for two former police officers in Abu Sayeed murder case not a solution: Amnesty

Amnesty International has said that the death penalty for two former police officers in the murder case of Abu Sayeed, a student at Rangpur’s Begum Rokeya University, the first martyr of the July uprising, is not a solution. The London-based human rights organization said this in a report published on its website on Friday.

In response to the verdict of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Thursday, Amnesty International’s regional researcher Rihab Mahamur said, “Abu Sayeed and many other victims of police violence during the July protests deserve justice and accountability. However, the death penalty has no place in any court. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. The ICT’s continued use of the death penalty is hindering efforts to build a just and sustainable national unity in Bangladesh.”

Rehab Mahamur also said, “In the past, Amnesty International and several other human rights organizations have expressed serious concerns that the ICT has failed to uphold international standards of justice and due process in many cases. Strict impartiality and transparent judicial process must be ensured in any judicial proceedings conducted by ICT.

Calling on Bangladeshi authorities to take steps to suspend the death penalty, Amnesty International said that its use must be suspended with the aim of abolishing this punishment completely.

Incidentally, the three-member International Crimes Tribunal-2 headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury yesterday announced its verdict in the case of crimes against humanity committed in the Abu Sayeed murder. Two people have been sentenced to death. They are former Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of the police Amir Hossain and former constable Sujan Chandra Roy. Both of them are under arrest.

Out of the 30 accused in the case, three have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The other 25 accused have been sentenced to various terms.

According to the Amnesty report, in July 2024, Amnesty International reviewed evidence of the use of illegal weapons by security forces on students, including the killing of Abu Sayeed. The organization then demanded that criminals be held accountable instead of the death penalty.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases. The organization believes that it violates the right to life as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.